Action

Here’s How Your Organization can Support VisionSpring’s
COVID-19 Prevention & Response Initiatives

Personal Protective Equipment for community health and primary care workers 

Leveraging our procurement capacity, we are sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE), hygiene items, COVID-relevant medical commodities and hand-washing stations. 

In association with our Reading Glasses for Improved Livelihoods program and long-standing support for community health workers, pharmacists and primary care providers, we will provide kits for ASHAs, ANMs, PHC staff as well as VisionSpring’s own frontline team members, the materials they need to be working safely in communities and coming into close contact with potential COVID-positive cases. Kit contents: Hand-wash/soap, gloves, masks, protective goggles, and thermometer (for self-monitoring).

With financial support, VisionSpring will make items available at-cost or on a subsidized basis to government and mission hospitals, prioritizing those treating suspected and active COVID-cases.  

Hand-washing and health information stations 

Following the example of effective infection prevention during outbreaks of cholera and ebola, we will set up hand-washing stations and COVID-messaging in high visibility, public areas associated with VisionSpring’s core customer groups. These include in transportation hubs, weaving/artisan communities, garment factories, agricultural estate areas, schools. The source-water barrels carry lightly chlorinated hand-washing solution, which will be prepared by staff and/or trained health community members. This chlorination aids in killing the virus during hand washing and in the lower receptacle bucket. Importantly, the spigot flows just like a sink so that both hands can be washed at the same time. 

Variation: Appreciation kits for drivers and transportation workers: 

In association with VisionSpring’s See to be Safe program, we will provide drivers, mechanics, allied workers and the transport/port authority staff receive items that encourage hand hygiene and health monitoring, as well as food items as a gesture of appreciation for their work as COVID-responders during the lock-down and beyond. Kit contents: mask, hand-wash/soap, protective eyeglasses, thermometer, disinfecting spray for surfaces, dried food items. 

Cloth mask production and distribution 

VisionSpring sits at the intersection of the health sector and the garment sector. Through our Clear Vision Workplace program, we have relationships with some of the largest manufacturers of garments in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, as well as artisan groups and weaving communities. 

We have provided factories with design specifications for cloth masks to be produced in a safe environment for workers that meet the needs of the general public as well as to provide reusable masks for health workers that have a built in pocket to contain a replaceable filter.

Based on guidance from the US Center for Disease Control and recommendations for the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cloth masks are recommended for use by the public to limit the projection of virus loaded droplets, and to offer some degree of protection. Further, a survey of 87 health care providers in our network, reveals a broad consensus in our key markets that cloth masks should be made available to community health workers and public health advocates. 

COVID-19 Hotline 

VisionSpring has a hotline service for its vision camps which will be retooled to provide COVID-19 information for callers that is consistent with the World Health Organization guidelines on COVID-19 prevention, hygiene, health seeking behavior, government self-quarantine instructions, state-wise helpline number for testing, and reliable online resources. The phone number will be shared through all activities listed above.

Mobile vans as a basis for service and health announcements

VisionSpring vans are equipped with loudspeakers, and will be deployed for kit distribution and other community awareness activities, operating in a radius around the van and our local team’s home-base locations.